Here is a letter that a thinking, feeling and loving teacher in Texas, Mrs. Brown, wrote to her students a few days before they appeared for the state conducted STAAR assessments for math and reading.
A school is an extension of the home. In many ways it would be acceptable to say that the school is the child’s second home. At school, the teacher is the one who gets to know the children entrusted in her care, as individuals that they are, and not just a batch of students. The teacher-student relationship is a humane bonding that refuses to ‘objectify’ them as mere test performers who ought to function at the ring of the school bell. This 'all encompassing' letter is a proactive move to safeguard the self esteem of students from 'denting', which is ever so often the undesirable outcome of standardised tests. Society today, in its ever-increasing urge of segregating and organizing, often ends up losing its ‘purpose’ in the process. A student, who is a human being, is so much more than just the grade or score that he/she achieves in a test. Through this letter which was sent home, Mrs. Brown, personally communicates to the children that she recognizes the wonderful human qualities and attributes that they have, and appreciates them for the effort they make, at being an individual who impacts the lives of others. In doing so she successfully brings the ‘exam outcome’ to perspective in the larger scheme of life. Alongside she also succeeds in reminding the parents of how precious their children truly are, and how valuable their contributions are, before they judge them based on the exam outcomes. A truly thinking, feeling and loving teacher who will leave an everlasting and positive impact on the lives of each and every student she teaches. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Bandana BasuWisdom lies all around us. It is for us to look for it in our day to day lives. Archives
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